Charlie ‘not the bird’ Parker – On Hold (Album Review)

The singer-songwriter Charle ‘not the bird’ Parker from Cambridgeshire, UK, usually writes music in the blues rock or folk acoustic genres. Parker actually shares the same name as Charlie Parker, the renowned American jazz saxophonist and composer. Parker has added the ‘not the bird’ to his moniker, so that music lovers wouldn’t confuse him with the jazz musician, who was nicknamed the ‘Bird’ for his love of chicken.

This time, Parker is releasing an instrumental album, which is mainly centered on the acoustic guitar. The record, titled ‘On Hold’ is an 8-track album packed to the brim with a great soulful vibe.

First off, we get “Verity, Pt.1,” which is one of the tracks that features vocals. The vocals are actually voiceovers. I couldn’t make out what they were saying, but it seemed to be a conversation between two people. The acoustic guitar sounds immediate here, drawing me in right away. The guitar is layered here for an intricate vibe. Here, the music reminded me of productions like Riverdance and Cirque du Soleil. The fiery power coming from this track was very exciting, and I felt myself unconsciously tapping my foot and moving around to the sounds. Parker opens with a powerful bang with this number.

Up next is “Lights On,” which feels more introspective in vibe. The noodling on the guitar here is quieter and the melody more meandering. The music flows out, and the music notes feel loose and more soothing than the previous track. I felt myself being carried away by the relaxing vibes. In my mind, I envisioned scenes from nature, like a bubbling creek and a breeze blowing through a field of flowers. Toward the mid-way mark, the noodling on the guitar becomes louder and more intricate. The music crescendoes and then eases off and swells up again for a resonating sound. The ebb and flow of the musical strands felt very dramatic, but in a different sense than the first track. Here, it felt more melancholy and contemplative.

On “Apple Tree,” fast strumming on the guitar meets the intro of this track. Percussion, the cello, and the fiddle accompany this track for a theatric vibe. I think I even heard some accordion. The fervent acoustic music brought to mind the fiery flames of a fire burning. The bongos were a nice addition as well. The music felt very baroque and very in-your-face. The exciting sounds continued till the very end.

Toward “May,” more finger-picking on the acoustic guitar leads the way. The intricate layers of the guitar make for a fascinating sound. This track goes back to featuring the guitar solely. The melody is once again meandering, but the tight musicianship from Parker immediately draws your focus to his wonderful artistry on the instrument.

On “Reflections,” I heard some synths, and this is the first introduction of synthetic instrumentation on this record. The music here sounded haunting as reverb played a key note in this track. The acoustics on this track were really amazing and made the instrumentals shine.

Following is “London Street,” where we get some a piano melody alongside some lush strings. The orchestral element to this track felt very inviting. I was immediately pulled into this track. Underlining the track are some rhythmic beats, that serves as the heartbeat to this piece. The melodious flute also flows out, trilling softly into the air.

“Verity, Pt. 2” is the second track, which features vocals. Once again, they are voiceovers, which were inaudible to my ears. The acoustic guitar once more flows out for an enticing sound. Buried in the rhythms are layers of interwoven melody. The music crescendos and lifts for an exciting sound.

I enjoyed the clear notes coming from the acoustic guitar on the finale, “Tajuna.” The soft sounds were very lulling and it immediately reminded me of a lullaby. The soft sounds turned out to be the perfect send-off for what was an amazing instrumental album.

Parker really has good intuition as a musician. He really has a feel for the instruments he plays, whether if it is the guitar or something else. Despite this being a mainly instrumental album, each musical instrument on this release felt like it had a voice. Mainly featuring the acoustic guitar, Parker’s musicianship on his instrument of choice felt very dynamic. On certain tracks like “Apple Tree” and “London Street,” where the orchestral elements really go on to enhance the track, the music unfolds into something truly exciting. As a musician and composer, it really feels like he has good musical instincts. Each track felt like it could stand alone as a single, and this, coming from an instrumental album, says a lot.

SCORE/Excellent: ‘On Hold’ was packed to the brim with great musicianship. At times dramatic, while others followed through with more introspective and melancholy melodies, each track was distinctive enough to stand on its own. Additions like lush strings, percussion, and the bongos helped flesh out what was already some very compelling music. Charlie ‘not the bird’ Parker distinguishes himself from current trends and mainstream music today with this exciting new release. Though primarily an instrumental record, I think music lovers everywhere can appreciate the artistry that Parker has put into this album.

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